Tag Archives: Movies

We’ve added more screenings to our summer 2016 U.S. theatrical release of Lucio Fulci’s gore-drenched masterpiece CAT IN THE BRAIN!

Acclaimed Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci, director of ZOMBIE and THE BEYOND, stars in this blood-soaked epic as a director being driven insane by his own movies. Fulci is thrust into an ultra-violent nightmare of death and depravity where murder and madness consume his sanity in a vortex of violence.

Here’s where you can see the movie coming up! More theaters and dates coming soon; and pick up the deluxe 3-disc Blu-ray/CD set now at Amazon and Diabolik DVD!

The Most VIOLENT Movie Ever Made – Starring Godfather Of Gore Lucio Fulci!

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Grindhouse Releasing has set a July 12 street date for the new deluxe 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Lucio Fulci’s nightmare classic CAT IN THE BRAIN. The movie will be touring theaters all over the U.S. this summer, starting June 2.

CAT IN THE BRAIN is a psychological masterpiece in the tradition of such cinematic classics as PSYCHO, STRAIT-JACKET, ERASERHEAD and Fellini’s 8 1/2. Acclaimed Italian horror maestro Lucio Fulci, director of ZOMBIE and THE BEYOND, stars in this blood-soaked epic as a director being driven insane by his own movies. Fulci is thrust into an ultra-violent nightmare of death and depravity where murder and madness consume his sanity in a vortex of violence.

“CAT IN THE BRAIN is my favorite Fulci movie,” says Grindhouse Releasing co-founder Bob Murawski. “How could it not be? It’s wall-to-wall gore and stars Lucio Fulci playing himself. It delivers on all levels.”

As with Grindhouse Releasing’s #1 best-selling smash PIECES, the new Blu-ray release of CAT IN THE BRAIN will be issued in two versions: the standard release, and a special edition for collectors limited to 3,000 copies.

The limited version of the CAT IN THE BRAIN Blu-ray includes a glow-in-the-dark slipcover and an original portrait of Lucio Fulci created especially for this release.

Grindhouse Releasing advises all customers who want to be guaranteed a copy of the limited edition to pre-order from Diabolik DVD, as Diabolik customers will get first priority and will receive the set early.

Supplies are not expected to last long — if you do not pre-order from Diabolik DVD, there is no guarantee of receiving one of the limited collector’s copies.

As an additional exclusive, Diabolik DVD is offering a special bundle that includes the CAT IN THE BRAIN Blu-ray and the official Lucio Fulci bobblehead from Cult Colletibles. This offer is limited to 500 copies, as these are the last of the numbered Lucio Fulci “Weird Wobbler” bobbleheads – when they’re gone, they’re gone!

As Bob Murawski and the team at Grindhouse Releasing are hard at work completing the upcoming Blu-ray releases including PIECES, I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, CAT IN THE BRAIN, and SCUM OF THE EARTH, the leading horror and exploitation film distributor is unleashing a nationwide series of theatrical screenings of Sam Raimi’s original EVIL DEAD in advance of the new ASH VS. EVIL DEAD series on Starz! Also screening in theaters this Halloween season from Grindhouse Releasing are Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, Umberto Lenzi’s CANNIBAL FEROX, Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, and more!

This Easter, home video audiences are celebrating the miraculous resurrection of Duke Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE POPE, the long-lost follow up to the smash hit MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE! At last, the cult hit hailed as “a glorious masterpiece” (Detroit Metro Times) is here on home video!

Legendary nightclub entertainer, crooner and “Mr. Palm Springs” Duke Mitchell stars in GONE WITH THE POPE as a gangster with an unholy scheme: to kidnap the Pope in exchange for the ransom of a dollar from every Catholic in the world! Duke Mitchell filmed GONE WITH THE POPE in 1975, but the movie was left unfinished at the time of his passing in 1981. Sage Stallone and Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing rediscovered GONE WITH THE POPE in 1995 and vowed to save it from obscurity. Academy Award-winning film editor Murawski (THE HURT LOCKER, SPIDER MAN 1, 2 & 3, ARMY OF DARKNESS) spent 15 years completing GONE WITH THE POPE from the surviving film elements. The result is the Holy Grail of Exploitation Cinema!

GONE WITH THE POPE played exclusively in 35mm at theaters and festivals around the globe for five years. The film has played repeatedly to an enthusiastic cult audience at the Quentin Tarantino-owned New Beverly Cinema in L.A. and the fantastic story of its unlikely rescue and restoration was featured in Variety, LA Weekly, Movieline, and the Los Angeles Times.

Now Grindhouse Releasing has at last answered years of worldwide demand for GONE WITH THE POPE on home video with a stunning deluxe Blu-ray/DVD set…and it’s a hit! Customers are already calling it the cult Blu-ray release of the year!

Available now, along with Grindhouse Releasing’s acclaimed, best-selling new Blu-ray editions of MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, Duke Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE POPE is being hailed as a miracle by fans and critics alike!

“There’s miracle work, and then…well, there’s this Blu-ray disc. I cannot get over how phenomenal Gone with the Pope looks in high-def. The clarity and staggering level of detail outclass just about every last Blu-ray release I’ve come across, regardless of age, budget, or marquee value. An absolutely incredible effort…Gone with the Pope is one of a kind: crude, violent, offensive, unapologetic, deeper than it lets on, and a hell of a lot of fun. I doubt if there’s any other filmmaker, dead or alive, who could pull this off the way Duke Mitchell does. I defy anyone not to be floored by the complete package that Grindhouse has assembled here, one that’s twenty years in the making. The visual and aural presentation eclipse anything I ever could’ve dreamt possible for a lost production like this, and the sprawling selection of extras hammer home just how much of a labor of love this is. Highly Recommended.” – DVD Talk

“Gone With The Pope is testament to how ambition and passion are always more important than a big budget or a famous cast. It’s a film like no other, an eighty-two minute barrage of ideas that are simultaneously insane and profound as Mitchell takes on the hypocrisy of organized religion without ever really writing off the spiritual side of life. It’s a skewed and strange vision to be sure but it’s relentlessly entertaining, as politically incorrect as they come and really just a wild ride all together. Grindhouse Releasing have rolled out the red carpet for the film, giving it the best possible presentation and jamming the disc with extras that are as interesting as they are comprehensive.” – Rock! Shock! Pop!

“Grindhouse Releasing kills it with this release of a long lost and unfinished film that will turn in to a classic piece of exploitation. A beautiful restoration job and lovingly packed with special features, GONE WITH THE POPE is a must own for any exploitation film fan!” – Celluloid Terror

“Grindhouse Releasing’s work here has resulted in one of their finest achieve­ments. They went beyond hon­or­ing a film’s legacy here: they actu­ally res­ur­rected, restored and fin­ished an aban­doned work. They really earned their tag as “the Criterion Collection of exploita­tion” with this impres­sive set.” – Schlockmania

“I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait. Gone with the Pope – as well as Grindhouse Releasing’s presentation of it – surpassed any expectation that I had. Very weird, very 70s, and very much the product of an individual who knew exactly what he wanted. It’s a shame that Duke Mitchell didn’t live long enough to see his work get the treatment that it is getting now, but he can rest easy know that it is in great hands and it looks f*cking amazing. Another indispensable release from Grindhouse Releasing.” – Paracinema

Grindhouse Releasing is a Hollywood-based film distribution company co-founded in 1996 by Sage Stallone and Academy Award-winning film editor Bob Murawski. Devoted to preserving, restoring and releasing the best in exploitation cinema, the label has earned the rep of “The Criterion Collection of cult” for its no-expense-spared restorations of such celebrated Italian horror films as Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, Umberto Lenzi’s CANNIBAL FEROX, and Ruggero Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. Through the Box Office Spectaculars imprint, Grindhouse has released David Durston’s I DRINK YOUR BLOOD, Lucio Fulci’s CAT IN THE BRAIN, and J.P Simon’s chainsaw classic PIECES.

In recent hyears, Grndhouse Releading has entered the Blu-ray market with acclaimed special editions of Amos Sefer’s AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL,starring Asher Tzarfati and Shmuel Wolf, Robert Hartford-Davies’ CORRUPTION, starring Peter Cushing, Sergio Sollima’s THE BIG GUNDOWN, starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, and the #1 best-seller CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, starring Robert Kerman and Carl Gabriel Yorke. In 2015, Grindhouse Releasing won the Satellite Award for Outstanding Overall Blu-ray/DVD for its special edition of Frank Perry’s THE SWIMMER, starring Burt Lancaster, which includes the original documentary “The Story of THE SWIMMER” by Academy Award winning film editor Chris Innis (THE HURT LOCKER).

Grindhouse Releasing once again scored a #1 Amazon best-seller in 2015 with the lavish 3-disc Blu-ray/CD release of Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, sure to top the list of the year’s best horror discs. MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and GONE WITH THE POPE are among the most long-anticipated titles in the Grindhouse Releasing catalog and the lvish Bu-ray/DVD sets are rapidly gaining acclaim as some of the studio’s finest work to date. Grindhouse Releasing is also the most active independent theatrical distributor of classic horror and exploitation films in the U.S., handling Sam Raimi’s original classic EVIL DEAD and other genre landmarks in addition to its own catalog of titles. Upcoming Blu-ray releases from Grindhouse include CANNIBAL FEROX, out May 12, and more to be announced soon!

Banned in 31 countries, CANNIBAL FEROX assaults your senses as a group of Americans lost in the jungles of Amazonia experience brutal retribution at the hands of blood-crazed cannibals. Shot on location in the savage Amazon wilds of South America, CANNIBAL FEROX is one of the most violent and shocking films ever made. There are at least two dozen scenes of barbaric torture and sadistic cruelty graphically shown. If the presentation of disgusting and repulsive subject matter upsets you, please do not view this film.

SPECIAL FEATURES

– Original UNRATED, UNCENSORED director’s cut

– Spectacular new 2K transfer – scanned from the original camera negative

Lost for over 30 years, GONE WITH THE POPE stars famed nightclub performer Duke Mitchell as Paul, a paroled gangster with an unholy scheme: to kidnap the Pope and charge “a dollar from every Catholic in the world” as the ransom.

Shot in 1975, GONE WITH THE POPE was unfinished at the time of Duke Mitchell’s death in 1981. Sage Stallone and Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing rediscovered GONE WITH THE POPE in 1995 and vowed to save it from obscurity. Academy Award-winning film editor Murawski (THE HURT LOCKER, ARMY OF DARKNESS) spent 15 years completing GONE WITH THE POPE from the surviving film elements.

GONE WITH THE POPE has screened exclusively in cinemas since its sold-out Hollywood premiere in 2010. This home video debut follows Grindhouse Releasing’s Blu-ray/DVD release of Duke Mitchell’s MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE, now set to arrive Feb. 24 along with the company’s long-awaited Blu-ray edition of Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND.

Grindhouse Releasing will celebrate the upcoming Blu-ray/DVD releases of MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and GONE WITH THE POPE with a rare 35mm screening of both films Feb. 10 at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.

Duke Mitchell’s MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and GONE WITH THE POPE are two of the most long-awaited and requested titles in the Grindhouse Releasing home video catalog. Founded in 1996 and known as the Criterion of cult cinema, Grindhouse Releasing has released Blu-ray editions of THE SWIMMER, starring Burt Lancaster, THE BIG GUNDOWN, starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, CORRUPTION, starring Peter Cushing, and AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL, starring Asher Tzarfati and Shmuel Wolf, The company scored a #1 best-selling hit in 2014 with its deluxe Blu-ray release of Ruggero Deodato’s notorious CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.

Grindhouse Releasing is also one of the most prolific theatrical distributors of classic horror and exploitation films in the United States. THE BEYOND, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, the midnight hit TRAILER APOCALYPSE and other Grindhouse Releasing titles are all making the rounds of of cinemas across the country now. For theaters and dates, visit www.GrindhouseReleasing.com.

Grindhouse Releasing is bringing Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND back to select theaters to celebrate the film’s upcoming U.S. Blu-ray debut. Don’t miss this chance to see Fulci’s masterpiece of supernatural horror on the big screen in glorious 35mm!

We’ll be adding more cities in the coming weeks! THE BEYOND arrives on Blu-ray from Grindhouse Releasing Feb. 10, 2015 – for full details, click here.

Italian-American actor and nightclub singer Duke Mitchell wrote, produced, directed and starred in this homemade answer to THE GODFATHER, self-financed with earnings from his career as the self-proclaimed “Mr. Palm Springs.” Previously known for his Martin and Lewis act with Sammy Petrillo as seen in BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA, Duke plays the ruthless son of a Mafia kingpin who blasts his way through Hollywood on a bloody crime spree. Promising “more guts, more action, more dynamite” than the Mario Puzo gangster classic, MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE delivers an onslaught of low-budget mayhem unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

“It’s a great thing for my Dad’s legacy for his movie to be released on Blu-ray,” says Jeffrey Mitchell, who co-produced the Blu-ray with Academy Award winning editor Bob Murawski of Grindhouse Releasing. Adds Murawski: “We have put in years of work restoring MASSACRE MAFIA STYLE and gathering an amazing selection of bonus material on Duke Mitchell. We think fans will agree it was worth the wait.”

SPECIAL FEATURES

– 2 disc combo pack – Blu-ray + DVD

– Incredible new hi-definition digital restoration of the original director’s cut

“Mind-bending…with Duke Mitchell’s cult following steadily building on what seems to be a daily basis, one can only wonder how far and wide the legacy of this entertainment jack of all trades will go.” – Nathaniel Thompson, TCM Underground

Watch for Grindhouse Releasing’s Blu-ray release of Lucio Fulci’s THE BEYOND, coming February 10, 2015! And stay tuned for details on the long-awaited Blu-ray and DVD release of Duke Mitchell’s GONE WITH THE POPE!

THE BEYOND arrives in a lavish 3-disc set with GLOW-IN-THE-DARK artwork housing two Blu-ray discs and a bonus CD of the classic Fabio Frizzi soundtrack, remastered from the original studio tapes. The release is packed with new bonus features – scroll down for complete details.

We are celebrating the long-awaited release of THE BEYOND with a special offer for Lucio Fulci fans: for one week only, Diabolik DVD customers who pre-order THE BEYOND can get our deluxe collector’s edition DVD of Lucio Fulci’s CAT IN THE BRAIN for a special reduced price!

The seven dreaded gateways to hell are concealed in seven cursed places…

And on the day the gates of hell are opened, the dead will walk the earth!

From legendary Italian horror master Lucio Fulci comes the ultimate classic of supernatural terror. A cursed hotel, built over one of the seven gateways to hell, becomes a malevolent abyss that begins devouring both the bodies and the souls of all who enter in a graphic frenzy of gory crucifixions, brutal chain-whippings, eyeball impalements, sulphuric acid meltdowns, flesh-eating tarantulas, throat-shredding demon dogs and ravenous bloodthirsty zombies. THE BEYOND is a towering achievement in hair-raising, mind-bending cinematic terror!

“If you have a favorite cult film, you should only hope that it gets on Grindhouse Releasing’s radar, as they have done exceptionally well by The Swimmer. A fascinating film, it’s been matched by a tremendous presentation, both in terms of the audio/video quality and the depth and quantity of the bonus content, especially the hugely enlightening documentary,” says DVD Talk.

“FIVE STARS! Continues Grindhouse’s exemplary work in the BD realm, with a gorgeous filmic offering…THE SWIMMER looks fresh and inviting on this disc, preserving the moods and mystery of the original cinematography. Scoring (from the late Marvin Hamlisch) stands out as clean and rich with instrumentation, providing bold orchestral support to the picture without drowning out the on-screen action. As with the visual experience, everything here is freshly prepared, delivering what was originally designed without distortion. It’s bold work and a forgotten film that deserves a fresh audience, with this exemplary BD providing a perfect opportunity to discover its numerous treasures.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

“‘The Story of ‘The Swimmer’ is a miraculous five-part documentary from Innis that dissects the feature in full, with specific attention to Lancaster’s star power and the BTS strife that almost prevented the movie from being released. Enthusiastic interviews are richly detailed with anecdotes and memories…the candor put forth here is outstanding, generating a riveting tale of a Hollywood tug of war…It’s an exhaustive documentary, but there’s never a dull moment.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

Based on the famous story by John Cheever, THE SWIMMER stars Lancaster as Ned Merrill, a man who confronts his destiny by swimming home, pool by pool, through the suburban nightmare of upper-class East Coast society. The film was directed by Frank Perry from a script by Eleanor Perry.

“THE SWIMMER is a knockout punch of a film and one of the great dramas of the 1960s…a terrific package!” says DVD Verdict.

Nathaniel Thompson of Mondo Digital writes, “The much-needed special edition by Grindhouse easily eclipses them all both in terms of technical presentation and supplements…in HD, it really looks fantastic. There hasn’t been any ridiculous digital manipulation, either; it still looks like film all the way. Audio options include a DTS-HD mono track (which sounds great) and, in a nice gesture, an isolated stereo presentation of the music score by Marvin Hamlisch (his film debut).”

The disc also includes a vintage audio recording of author John Cheever reading his short story “The Swimmer”, originally published in The New Yorker in 1964; extensive still galleries, storyboards, deleted scenes, artwork from around the world, the complete screenplay, a 12-page booklet with insightful essays by Innis and director Stuart Gordon (RE-ANIMATOR).

“Grindhouse Releasing gives THE SWIMMER a fantastic Blu-ray debut. The presentation is up to the high standards set by their past releases as are the supplements which prove to be both comprehensive and genuinely interesting. The story behind this one is just as interesting as the movie itself. A fantastic package through and through.” – Ian Jane, Rock! Shock! Pop!

“The new Grindhouse Releasing of THE SWIMMER looks marvelous…I love this film, which has elevated to a cult status in certain circles. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.” – Flicker Alley

“The new high definition digital restoration created from 4K scans brings this movie back to its original gleaming glory. THE SWIMMER is a beautifully photographed film and you will get to see all the spectacular imagery with this special edition. The superbly produced Blu-ray/DVD package is jammed with extra features that will give new and old fans of the movie a very complete view of the production from start to finish. Recommended!” – Furious Cinema

“An emotionally draining experience. THE SWIMMER is a very effective, and sometimes surreal drama. The freshly restored print alone would likely warrant a purchase from most fans of the film, but as to be expected with Grindhouse Releasing, there are a wealth of incredible bonus features that make this truly essential. The highlight of the package would have to be THE STORY OF THE SWIMMER, a brand-new 2 1/2 hour documentary by Oscar winner Chris Innis.” – Brain-Hammer.com

“A BIZARRE MASTERPIECE…This remarkable restoration of THE SWIMMER is not to be missed.” – Mack Blankenship, SSS Horror Reviews

“It isn’t every day that a movie such as The Swimmer is released to the screen, but thankfully Grindhouse Releasing has realized the glory of this film, and how its impact can continue to be felt, so many years after its original theatrical run. The Swimmer is simply one of the must-see home video releases of 2014.” – George Pacheco, 10K Bullets